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Children begin learning about language at a very young age. They begin saying and repeating sounds when they are just babies. A baby’s early babbling is the beginning stages of learning to talk. One day you’ll find that those bababas and mamamas and dadadas turn into real words like ball, mommy, daddy, etc. Most children will begin saying real words (well what sound kind of like words anyway) at around a year old. Throughout their second year of life their vocabulary will really begin to increase and they will go from saying single words to forming short little 2-3 word sentences. It is so fun to watch their faces light up when they correctly repeat a word or get their point across the first try using real words. You can just see the pride written all over their darling little faces.
An important part of helping your child grow and develop language skills is teaching them their ABCs. The alphabet is the first building block to being able to read. Once your child begins to use words you can begin to really start teaching them the alphabet. That early reading, singing and talking you did with them as babies will work as building blocks for learning and grasping the alphabet and counting.
Here are a few suggestions you can use to work with your child to help them learn their ABCs and 123s:
- Read to them early and often. Children learn a lot about language simply by listening to us talk to them and read to them.
- Sing the alphabet song regularly and encourage your child to sing along once they are old enough to copy and repeat sounds.
- Repitition, repeat letters and numbers often and encourage your child to repeat them with you.
- Use flash cards once your child is old enough.
- Invest in some books, puzzles, letters/numbers fridge magnets (or bath toys), etc.
- If you let your child watch television or DVDs include programming that helps them learn their alphabet and counting.
Now that my daughter’s language is really beginning to develop we have begun working with her on letters and numbers. She can repeat all the letters of the alphabet and all the numbers up to 10 when prompted. We make it fun by including it in fun activities like reading, singing or games. Since she was born I have read to her every day. She loves books and will sit and listen to stories or flip through a book on her own for long periods of time (a trait she gets from her mom!!). She doesn’t recognize the letters yet, but that will come with some time and practise. We use fridge magnets and bathtub sponge letters/numbers to help her with recognition and to give us just another opportunity to include learning in her play.
When children start school having a firm understanding of the key building blocks for learning such as knowing their ABCs, 123s, having some early reading skills, some early math skills, etc will help them learn more easily and enjoy school more.
The ABCs and 123s are such a simple thing but they truly are the building blocks for all learning. Getting started early and making the learning fun are great ways to show your child that learning is fun and they can do it.
The summer break will be over soon and for many kids the summer has meant losing touch with their school friends. It can be hard for children, especially younger ones, to stay connected with the school friends over the summer unless they live close by. The first day of school is often nerve-wracking for a lot kids especially if they haven’t seen their friends all summer. Helping your child reconnect with their school friends before school starts may aid in the transition back to school.
Here are a few tips on ways you can get the kids together with their school friends before summer is over:
- Host a picnic at the park with a few of your child’s “best” friends from school.
- If you are friends with some of the parents talk to them about doing your back to school shopping together so the kids have a chance to hang out and you’ll have a shopping buddy.
- Find out if the school or local library is hosting any activities in the last weeks of summer break and enroll your child, odds are a few other kids from his/her class will be there as well.
- Host a pool party for your child’s “best” school friends either at your house if you have a pool or at your local public pool.
- Have your child invite a few friends over for a playdate.
The key is to get them talking and reconnecting. Knowing your friends from last year are still your friends this year will make the first day of school a little easier.
Do you do anything special to help your child reconnect with their school friends before the new school year starts? What do you find works best?
Summer is a time for kids to unwind, relax and enjoy being a kid. However, kids do lose a lot of the knowledge they gained during the school year if learning doesn’t remain part of their everyday life. For example, on average children will lose approximately 2.6 months of their grade level equivalency in mathematics. Teachers typically spend the first 4-6 weeks of a school year re-teaching what the children learned the previous year and lost during the summer.
No child (or parent for that matter) wants to spend all summer feeling like they are still in school. It is important for parents to come up with creative ways to keep their children learning but still having fun at the same time. You don’t have to spend a ton of money on expensive summer camps and programs. Summer learning can be inexpensive or even free!
Here are a few ideas for some fun summer learning:
- Use your local library. Most libraries have free (or very inexpensive) children’s programs. Or you can just simply create a family summer reading challenge.
- Create fun learning activities for your children such as scavenger hunts.
- Use your local zoo, science center and museums as fun learning environments. Come up with little games or learning activities for your children before you head out. For example count the number of mammals we see at the zoo, find the space area of the science center and learn something new to share with the family at dinner tonight.
- Find some kid-friendly online websites that use games to help kids learn math skills, language skills, reading, etc. These can be great for rainy days!
- Check with your local school board to see if they offer any summer programs.
Those are just a few of the ideas I came up with. Get your kids involved in the process. They will have fun thinking up fun, learning-rich activities for the summer. The key is to make learning fun so they don’t even know they aren’t just playing!
Many children between the ages of 3 and 4 will attend a preschool program. It is a great way for your child to become familiar with a school setting and learning how to be a student prior to entering kindergarten.
A preschool program is one that is designed for children who will be entering kindergarten in the next couple of years. They are structured much like a regular classroom would be and give the child the opportunity to learn how to be a student, how to socialize well with other children and the teacher, how to share the teachers attention with other students, and gives them a head start on their basic skills in reading, math, and spelling. No matter if your child has been in a daycare program from day one or if this is the first time they will be outside the home the challenge remains finding a good program that works for you and for your child.
Preschool programs are usually available with various schedules ranging from a fulltime schedule similar to those of a daycare program to part-time schedules where the child goes either half days or only a few hours a couple of days a week. The type of program and schedule you choose will depend on the needs of your child and your family.
Finding the right preschool can be challenging. Here are a few quick things to keep in mind when you are interviewing schools.
- How far in advance does your child need to be registered? You may find that some schools have waiting lists so you will want to get your child on the list early.
- Does your child need to be toilet trained? Most preschools do require that the child be toilet trained before entering the program, be sure you know if this is the case for the school your child is attending so there aren’t any surprises.
- How involved are the parents in the school? Are their parent groups, like a PTA, that help plan programs like picnics and parties?
- How does the teacher keep you informed about your child’s progress and how do they evaluate the children? Are there progress reports that are sent home, are their parent – teacher interviews? What areas are the children measured in?
- How does the school and teacher approach bullying? What are the consequences if two children are fighting? It is important that you agree with the school’s discipline policy.
- How is each day structured? How much time is devoted to learning, playing, quiet time, etc.
Be sure to thoroughly evaluate the program before signing your child up. It is a good idea to take the time to go to the school to see what the facility is like, to watch the teacher and students interacting, and to see if the environment is the right one for your child. Most schools are more than happy to accommodate parents who are interesting in visiting their facility to evaluate it. If you are having a hard time finding a preschool talk to other parents who have children in preschool or your child’s pediatrician.
Here are a couple of websites that may help in your search for the right preschool for your child.
It is inevitable, at some point during your child’s educational career you are bound to get a phone call from your child’s teacher. It may be only to tell you that your child is doing wonderfully in school, or it may be to discuss some struggles your child is facing academically, or it may be to discuss some behavioral issues. Whatever the reason the teacher is calling the most important thing you need to do is take the time to listen.
When you consider the fact that your child’s teacher has many children under their care (many more if your child is in middle or high school) it has to mean something that he or she has taken the time to call you about something. Getting a call from your child’s teacher in the middle of a busy day at work, or after work while you are trying to make dinner may be frustrating, but it is important to take time out of your day for the phone call.
Here are a few tips about dealing with calls from the teacher, especially those that involve some academic or behavioral issue that needs to be addressed.
- Make time to talk to the teacher, even if you are in the middle of something. If you can’t devote your attention to what the teacher has to say schedule a time for her to call back or for you to call her when your full attention will be available.
- It is important to take notes about what the teacher is saying about the problem, what suggestions he has for the solution, and what needs to be done. The notes will help you discuss the problem with your spouse and your child later.
- Be sure to share your ideas with the teacher. Spend sometime brain storming about the best solution, be creative, and be open with your comments. The reason the teacher called is not only to let you know what is going on but to also get your feedback as well.
- Getting a call from your child’s teacher about something negative can be upsetting, the worst thing you can do is get defensive. The important thing is tackling the problem and helping your child overcome the obstacle.
Likely when the teacher takes the time to make a phone call home it is because something is wrong or she is worried about something. Taking the time to listen to what the teacher has to say, being involved in the conversation and the solution, and keeping a level head are all very important.